Development of a Multicriteria Scheme for the Identification of Strategic Areas for SUDS Implementation: A Case Study from Gijón, Spain

Abstract

Spain has been pinpointed as one of the European countries at major risk of extreme urban events. Thus, Spanish cities pursue new urban plans to increase their resilience. In this scenario, experiences in the implementation of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) have increased substantially. Nevertheless, few cities have developed a global urban strategy for SUDS, lacking, in many cases, a method to identify strategic areas to maximize their synergetic benefits. Furthermore, there is still a need for a holistic Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) framework that considers the four pillars of SUDS design. The city of Gijón, NW Spain, has been selected as a case study due to its environmental and climatic stresses. This research presents the methodology developed for this city, which aims to analyze the need for SUDS implementation throughout the identification of strategic areas. With this aim, a combination of Geographic Information System (GIS) software and the MCDA Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) were proposed. The results show the potential for SUDS’ implementation, according to nine criteria related to the SUDS’ design pillars. We found that the areas where the implementation of SUDS would bring the greatest functional, environmental and social benefits are mainly located in consolidated urban areas.

The High-Resolution Calibration of the Topographic Wetness Index Using PAZ Satellite Radar Data to Determine the Optimal Positions for the Placement of Smart Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in Urban Environments

“…Thus, there is a growing interest in optimizing the location of these techniques to increase their synergetic impact on the holistic water cycle and the creation of better living spaces in urban environments. Previous studies, such as [3][4][5], have paved the way for further research in this area, focusing on the development of multicriteria frameworks and optimal locations. Additionally, satellite imagery has been successfully utilized in the past to help identify potential locations to implement SuDS.…”

A SUDS Planning Decision Support Tool to Maximize Ecosystem Services

“…These studies developed decision-support tools, spatial models, and ecosystem services assessments to guide the urban planning process at a fixed scale (municipal or local). Other studies have focused on defining a methodology framework to determine the location of SUDS in an urban context [38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46]. For example, Jiménez-Ariza et al [40] proposed a multiscale and multicriteria SUDS planning framework by integrating strategic and priority urban drainage sub-catchments using MCDA entropy and Criteria Importance Through Inter-criteria Correlation (CRITIC) methods for the development of the social and environmental index.…”

“…For example, Jiménez-Ariza et al [40] proposed a multiscale and multicriteria SUDS planning framework by integrating strategic and priority urban drainage sub-catchments using MCDA entropy and Criteria Importance Through Inter-criteria Correlation (CRITIC) methods for the development of the social and environmental index. Menéndez Suárez-Inclán [45] developed a methodology to identify strategic areas for SUDS implementation by the combination of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software and the MCDA Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP). These studies offered decision-support tools potentially replicable in another context, however, fewer studies had analyzed the feasibility (e.g., environmental, social, and economic) of SUDS implementation simultaneously for different stages of urban projects (e.g., developed project, planning phase, urban renewal planning).…”